Chefs' Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF) Given New $69.00 Price Target at UBS Group

Chefs' Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF - Free Report) had its target price upped by UBS Group from $60.00 to $69.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on CHEF. Lake Street Capital lifted their target price on Chefs' Warehouse from $48.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, December 16th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Chefs' Warehouse from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Chefs' Warehouse from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $67.60.

Chefs' Warehouse Trading Up 3.4 %

Chefs' Warehouse stock traded up $2.12 during trading on Thursday, reaching $65.30. 639,870 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 366,379. Chefs' Warehouse has a 52-week low of $31.96 and a 52-week high of $65.43. The company has a market capitalization of $2.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 57.28 and a beta of 2.29. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $51.94 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $44.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Chefs' Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.04. Chefs' Warehouse had a net margin of 1.28% and a return on equity of 12.67%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Chefs' Warehouse will post 1.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Chefs' Warehouse news, General Counsel Alexandros Aldous sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.00, for a total transaction of $225,000.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel now owns 114,342 shares in the company, valued at $5,145,390. This trade represents a 4.19 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO James Leddy sold 4,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.85, for a total value of $195,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 145,589 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,112,022.65. This trade represents a 2.67 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 11.90% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chefs' Warehouse

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Chefs' Warehouse by 303.4% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 593 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 446 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Chefs' Warehouse by 24.6% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,202 shares of the company's stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares during the period. KBC Group NV grew its holdings in shares of Chefs' Warehouse by 67.1% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,100 shares of the company's stock valued at $104,000 after buying an additional 843 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new stake in Chefs' Warehouse in the 4th quarter valued at $201,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Chefs' Warehouse during the fourth quarter valued at about $224,000. 91.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Chefs' Warehouse

The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes specialty food and center-of-the-plate products in the United States, the Middle East, and Canada. The company's product portfolio includes specialty food products, such as artisan charcuterie, specialty cheeses, unique oils and vinegars, truffles, caviar, chocolate, and pastry products; and center-of-the-plate products consisting of custom cut beef, seafood, and hormone-free poultry, as well as broadline food products comprising cooking oils, butter, eggs, milk, and flour.